The Road To Normal
by Letterimbo23
Summary: The moment Jane meets Maura their lives change drastically. Chases and car crashes ensue. Will they get out alive? And what does Maura's father have to do with everything? Rizzles.
1. The Meeting

**A/N: Yes, it is me! I am back after a very long time off. I am sorry, but life has been crazy and I just couldn't find the inspiration for a story. Until now! This one won't be long. Seven chapters, but I'm just glad I'm getting back into the flow of things. Not sure how I'll be updating, but at least one chapter a week. So that would be seven weeks. Maybe shorter. But not longer. Let me know what you guys think and just enjoy the story!**

* * *

It was her voice that made Jane look up from her drink. She had been there for over an hour, listening to one performer after another try and fail to capture the audience's attention. But it was that one voice that made the whole café turn quiet and listen to her. Jane had heard a lot of good singers over the years, but nothing like this. And the way the girl on stage held herself, made her even more amazed. She stood there with such confidence. As if she owned the place. Like it didn't matter what anyone thought of her, as long as she could just sing.

The song lasted way too short for Jane's liking and the girl headed off stage after a quick thank you. Jane followed her with her eyes, watching as she disappeared backstage. Gulping down her beer, Jane followed after her. She had no idea why, all she knew was that she had to talk to the girl. She moved through the crowd slowly, just as people were getting back their bearings after that amazing performance. They were talking about the girl that was just on stage, some even screaming about how amazing it was. Jane couldn't help but agree, after all it was the reason she was trying to get backstage. Which she finally did, after pushing past the last few people.

Taking a breath, she straightened her jacket and moved through the open door. There were a few performers backstage talking to each other. Some were tuning their guitars, others were going over their songs one more time. But there was no blonde girl. Jane strained her neck, thinking maybe she walked straight past her, but again, no blonde girl. Slumping her shoulders in disappointment, she was ready to turn back.

"I told you I was done after this! You can't force me to sing for you anymore Arthur!" The yelling made Jane turn around. What was going on?

"You can't just quit Maura. We have a deal, a contract. You know you can't just break it." Jane started moving towards the screaming. It didn't exactly sound like a normal argument. The blonde girl was temporarily forgotten.

"I don't care. I'm done! You can find someone else to make you money. I'm not doing it anymore." A door to the left of Jane slammed open and the blonde she had been looking for came rushing out, tears streaming down her face. Jane looked behind her to see an angry man standing there, pointing his finger at her.

"You have nowhere to go! And you know I will find you! You listen to me! I will find you!" The room had turned dead silent as everyone was wondering what was going on. They all pretended they didn't hear the argument between the two and didn't see the girl rushing out through the backdoor. Jane took one last look at the man, her stomach turning when she saw the look in his eyes. This clearly wasn't over.

Something inside of Jane told her to go after the girl. She wasn't sure what it was, maybe a pull, or maybe just the protectiveness in her. She didn't care either way. Without another thought she raced after the girl, bursting through the backdoor. Maybe she was already too late. The girl - Maura was her name - could have already gone anywhere.

Jane was surprised to find her leaning against the wall right next to the door. Gut wrenching sobs wracked the blonde's body, her head buried in her hands. Jane swallowed, not entirely sure how to approach the situation. What was she supposed to say here? It wasn't as if she knew her. All she knew was her name, that she was an amazing singer and that the guy she was working for was a total asshole. Moving forward slowly, Jane made sure to keep her hands to herself. She didn't want to scare the girl off.

"Maura?" The blonde's head shot up, her eyes wide with fear. Jane quickly reacted.

"Hey, relax. I'm not here to hurt you or anything." The blonde was still weary and Jane couldn't blame her. She was a complete stranger to the blonde and she had followed her outside. She wouldn't even trust herself. "I saw what happened in there. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Maura looked up at Jane, confusion appearing on her face.

"Why? I don't know you do I?" Jane smiled softly, shaking her head in response. She could see the blonde narrow her eyes, trying to read Jane.

"Then why would you be concerned about me?" The taller girl sighed softly, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

"I don't really know how to answer that. I just knew I couldn't let you go out here alone. It's not really safe out here. Besides, you don't really look like you're from here and the guy said that you had nowhere to go so... He's a total ass by the way." Maura smiled sadly, shaking her head.

"That man is my father." Jane raised her eyebrows.

"Your father? Then why is he acting like he owns you?" Maura sighed, sliding down the wall. She wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her chin on top of them. She didn't know why, but she found herself answering Jane's question.

"He's always acted like this. Tonight I just couldn't take it anymore. I used to love to sing, but..." The blonde shook her head, falling silent. Jane sat down next to her, crossing her legs in front of her. She made sure to keep enough space between them so it wouldn't be too weird.

"Do you really have nowhere to go?" When Maura shook her head Jane continued. "You can stay with me." This made the blonde looked up at her, perplexed.

"What? You don't even know me. I-I don't even know you!"

"Jane Rizzoli. See, now you do. And I know your name is Maura, so... We're not complete strangers. I promise not to kill you in your sleep, deal?" The grin that spread onto Jane's face made Maura smile. She shook her head in unbelief, but didn't answer right away. "Really, let me help you. I know it sounds completely weird coming from someone you don't really know and I'm not asking you to trust me… or maybe enough to stay with me, but please just think about it? It's better than any hotel, I promise."

There was a moment where Maura was mulling over her proposal and Jane hoped that the blonde would say yes. She would be surprised if she did, but that didn't make her not want to hear the words 'yes'. After a few minutes, Maura answered her.

"I can't believe I'm actually doing this but... thank you Jane. And I promise not to kill you in your sleep either." The blonde winked, causing Jane to laugh. At least she had a sense of humor. That was definitely a plus.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go." Holding out her hand, Jane helped Maura up.

"Maura Isles." The two shared a smile, before Jane led the way back to her apartment.

* * *

Maura stepped into the apartment carefully, taking in her surroundings. She still couldn't believe she was actually going to stay with a complete stranger. And what was even more unbelievable was that she trusted Jane. There was nothing that told her she couldn't. She watched as Jane took of her jacket and locked the door behind them. All without a care in the world, as if she took strangers home with her every day. Who knows, maybe she did. Maura chuckled to herself, causing Jane to give her a funny look.

"What's so funny? My apartment?" The blonde shook her head, a smile still on her face.

"I was just imagining you going around at night taking random people home with you." Jane laughed.

"Then I have to tell you to stay out of the room to the left of you. Took home this guy, but he thinks it's the most normal thing to walk around naked so." Jane shrugged, moving past Maura and into the small open kitchen to their right.

"That was a joke right?" Jane raised an eyebrow, before bursting out into laughter when she saw Maura's panicked look.

"It was! Can't believe you actually fell for that." Maura rolled her eyes, trying to be mad at the taller girl. But she joined in after a second or two.

"What do you want to drink? I have water, beer, coke and... apparently a bottle of wine. No idea how that got in here." The blonde watched as Jane rummaged through her fridge. She was bent over, seeing as the fridge wasn't quite as tall as Jane was, so Maura got a nice view. She smirked to herself, before tearing her eyes away and taking another look around the apartment.

"Wine is fine thank you." The kitchen was to the right and directly across from there was the living room. There was one couch and a chair, a coffee table and a decent TV. Then there was the room Jane mentioned to the left. And two other doors to the right of that one. Maura figured it was a two bed, one bath apartment. It didn't really look that bad. Not better than any hotel she had stayed in, but still.

"Here you go." Jane's voice startled Maura and she whipped around, a hand on her chest.

"You scared me!" The taller girl chuckled, the sound resounding in Maura's head. The blonde took the glass from Jane's hands, shooting her a grateful smile.

The two sat down on the couch and Jane turned on the TV, muting the sound. It was just something to have on in the background. Take away from the awkwardness in the room. Maura looked down at the glass in her hands. As she watched the wine swirl around, she could feel Jane's eyes on her.

"I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but I just want to say that he sounded pretty threatening. Has that happened before?" The blonde sighed sadly, shaking her head. She could feel tears pricking behind her eyes. She didn't want to start crying again.

"Not like this. He has been mad before, but he never sounded like this." Jane reached out, letting her hand rest on Maura's shoulder. She was thankful when the blonde didn't pull away.

"It's okay. He doesn't know where you are right now. And maybe he'll call in the morning and apologize." Jane knew she sounded naïve, but she had to try something to make Maura feel a little better. The blonde smiled up at her.

"Thank you Jane. As strange as this is, I appreciate you helping me out. But I don't think my father will let this go that easily. I do have a contract that ends at the end of the year. Maybe just a night away from everything will help me clear my head. It's not as bad as it all sounds. I can sing, which is something I love to do and I get to see different cities, so all in all it's not so bad." Jane frowned, not convinced.

"You told me you used to love to sing. I'm guessing he took that away from you. You don't have to be strong here Maura. You don't have to convince me of anything." She didn't know what it was, maybe it was the tone in Jane's voice, or maybe it was the things she said, but it was as if something suddenly cracked inside of Maura and the blonde broke down for the second time that night. Jane didn't hesitate as she took her in her arms.

Maura was right. All of this was strange. But it also felt right. Like you see in all those movies. Two people who meet under the weirdest of circumstances and forming a bond. And even though neither Jane nor Maura actually believed it could happen in real life, but this might just change their minds.


	2. Finding Out

After Maura had calmed down somewhat, Jane proposed they get some rest and look at things in the morning when they were both fresh enough to think rationally. Or at least Jane would be. The taller girl doubted Maura would really know what to do. It appeared she seemed scared of her father. Maybe not completely terrified, but scared enough that she wouldn't dare to stand up to him. Unless she was full of emotions like last night.

Jane had taken her place on the couch while Maura slept in her bed. She didn't really use the other room as a bedroom. It didn't really serve a purpose. She just kept all the stuff she didn't really use in there. Jane wasn't surprised when she was the first one to wake up and she figured she might as well do a breakfast run. She would cook them something, but she didn't really have anything in the fridge and she wasn't really a great cook anyway.

She was back ten minutes later and the silence she was met with told her that Maura was still asleep. Deciding to check on the other girl, she quickly peeked inside her bedroom. The sight brought a smile to her face and she couldn't help but take a little longer than necessary. Maura was lying on her stomach, her arms wrapped around her pillow. Her blonde hair was splayed across her face and pillow and the sunlight that was streaming in cast a sort of golden glow around her. She looked absolutely beautiful. Shaking her head to banish these thoughts out of her head, Jane silently closed the door. She might as well dig into her own breakfast. No point in waiting on Maura to wake up. She needed as much sleep as she could get anyway.

While she was waiting, Jane grabbed her laptop. She had been wondering about something Maura had said last night. She visited different cities to perform, so that meant she should be somewhat known right? Typing in the blonde's name, Jane was met with various pictures of Maura on stage, walking outside, grabbing a drink or something to eat. Looked like some people knew who she was. So why was she performing in a café? Jane took her time, trying to find out as much as she could about the other girl. She was only a couple of months younger than Jane, working with her father, originally from Boston, but moved to L.A. when she was three years old. Probably to get her ready for her career, Jane mused. She never understood why parents would use their kids like this. Why not ask them what they want and support that? And if they do indeed want a life of fame, then don't butt in.

"Not all of that is true you know." Jane whipped around, looking like a dear caught in the headlights. Maura chuckled, wiping the sleep from her eyes. It was a cute sight.

"Sorry. I was just following up on something you said yesterday. Looks like you're pretty famous. How come I've never heard of you before?" The blonde shrugged, hiding her yawn behind her hand.

"I'm more known in L.A. And I wouldn't say I'm famous. The paparazzi takes pictures of anyone who can sing these days. In case we do get famous and they get to say they discovered us." Maura sat down next to Jane, her eyes scanning the article the taller girl was reading.

"Did you see anything about last night? Normally they're on top of it." Jane shook her head, closing her laptop and placing it down next to her.

"No, nothing about last night." The taller girl took a good look at the blonde. "You sleep okay?" Maura shrugged, running a hand through her hair.

"Okay I guess. I couldn't really get to sleep. But I guess I did fall asleep at some point." She smiled at Jane, before wrinkling her nose. "I smell coffee."

Jane chuckled, reaching out for Maura's coffee. It was still warm fortunately. Maura took it gratefully, taking a sip and moaning in delight. The two were silent for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts. After a moment Jane spoke up.

"I know someone who could take a look at your contract if you want? Maybe there's something in there that could get you out of it." Maura nodded absentmindedly.

"I don't have my contract on me though Jane. It's with my father."

"Oh."

Jane sounded dejected. She had been thinking about this all night. She was sure it could help Maura. But you couldn't go over a contract without said contract present. The blonde reached out a hand, squeezing Jane's arm.

"It's okay. I appreciate you trying to help me, but I don't think anyone can. I just have to go back to Arthur and finish this year. After that I'm free to do as I please. It's only four more months Jane." The taller girl shook her head, getting up from her spot on the couch.

"I don't care. After what I saw last night you shouldn't spend another second in his presence. He doesn't even treat you with respect, he only sees you as someone who makes money for him. You're his daughter for Christ's sake! He should listen to what you want, not make you do what he wants!" Jane's voice rose with every word she said and she was almost screaming at the end of it.

"Jane, I don't have a choice. You don't understand. If I break the contract I have to pay him. And I don't have that kind of money. I'm in no position to make any demands." But Jane wouldn't accept that. There was no way she was going to let Maura go back to working for her father.

"I don't care. We'll find a way. I'm not letting you go back. You should love to sing, do it with the passion that I know is in you. There's nothing more beautiful than hearing and seeing someone sing when it's their passion. The way their eyes lit up, how only one sentence can give you goosebumps. That's how it's supposed to be."

Maura was speechless. Jane described it perfectly. It was exactly why she had started to sing in the first place. To pour all of her emotions into her songs. She was never good at showing them, so to use them in her songs was perfect. And hearing Jane say all of this made her realize that the taller girl was right. She shouldn't want it like this. She should want to do this because she loves to, because it's her passion.

"You're right. But how are we going to do it? My father isn't a reasonable man. He won't just let me go." Jane sighed. She had no idea either.

"Just try and talk to him. If he really doesn't want to talk than we'll just run away. Pretend like you've been kidnapped or something. Then we'll come back next year and everything's fine." Maura laughed heartedly.

"Jane! You can't be serious." The taller girl shrugged, grinning at the blonde.

"All right, so maybe that's not a good idea, but still. We need to have a backup plan." Maura's laughter died down, her smile being replaced by a thoughtful look.

"You keep saying 'us'. Why do you want to help me so badly? I don't understand." Jane sighed, pulling her legs onto the couch. She looked at Maura, taking her time to answer. She was sure her staring was making the blonde uncomfortable, but she was trying to come up with a logical explanation.

"I don't really know Maura. I just know that I want to. Maybe because of my inner cop or something? You know, protect and serve and all that. I don't really have a reasonable explanation, doesn't matter how much I think about it."

"You're a cop?"

"That's what you take from it?" Jane laughed, shaking her head. "Almost, I'm joining the academy next year." Jane had been met with a lot of different looks from the people she had told. Most of them were fear or disgust. But Maura. She gave her a completely different look. It was almost as if she was in awe. As if Jane had suddenly become her hero or something. It made her look away in embarrassment.

"Anyway. You have any ideas? He's your father, so you know him best." Maura shook her head. She really had no idea.

"I guess I should go talk to him first. Maybe after last night he changed his mind, but I doubt it." Then she added after a beat. "Could you go with me? I mean, not there with my dad but... there." Jane smiled softly, understanding what the blonde meant.

"Of course."

* * *

Jane watched as Maura got out of the car and crossed the street. She would be right there waiting for her until she got back. If she did. Jane didn't really have a good feeling about this, but they didn't really have a choice. It was still weird to the both of them. They were still practically strangers, but here they were, doing this together. Jane knew that Maura was grateful she didn't have to do this alone. Or maybe because she didn't really have any other friends. It was something Jane had asked her on their way here. Maura had told her that the friends she did have left her the moment she started showing up on the internet. Jane had scoffed and told her they weren't really her friends to begin with. Maura had just shrugged it off. It told Jane that it still hurt. And she couldn't blame her. Her life was hard enough as it was and without anyone there to support her. She couldn't begin to imagine.

Jane was just getting comfortable, when she saw Maura running back to the car, panic clearly showing. She all but dived into the car and screamed at Jane to get out of there. The other girl was completely confused and she looked behind Maura to see a man in a black suit walking their way. Jane was about to ask what was going on when she saw him reach into the inside pocket of his jacket. Her eyes widened in fear and she drove off quickly, not daring to look in the rearview mirror.

"Maura what the fuck is going on?!" Jane wasn't someone who cussed a lot, but in a situation like this? She didn't really care.

"I don't know. I went to the café Arthur told me to meet and that guy was there. He stood up and started reaching inside his jacket. I just turned and ran." She looked behind them frantically, looking out for someone following them. "You don't think my own dad wants me dead do you?" Jane didn't know how to respond. Maybe they were wrong and the man was just reaching for something other than a gun. But would you really take the chance?

"Let's just get back to my place okay? We'll figure out what to do from there." Maura nodded in agreement and finally settled back in her seat. Everything would be okay. Her dad surely didn't want her dead did he?


	3. Crashing

They were able to breathe again when they were a safe distance away. Neither Jane nor Maura could believe what had just happened. Both were wondering what was going on and while Jane was thinking what she had gotten herself into, Maura kept replaying the scene over and over in her head. Could her father really want her dead?

''Are you okay?'' Jane knew the question was ridiculous, especially considering the situation they were in right now, but she couldn't stand the silence any longer. Maura nodded her head, then after a beat or two shook it.

''Of course I'm not okay. My father might have just tried to kill me. Or hired someone to do it.'' Weird enough the blonde hadn't raised her voice in the slightest. Maybe that was why Jane took a nervous breath.

''I know, stupid question. I just didn't know what to say. Sorry.'' Maura sighed next to her.

''No, it's not a stupid question. I just can't believe this actually happened. I had no idea he would go this far. Or that he even could. I mean, I'm his daughter! How can you kill your own daughter? Who does that?!'' Judging by the tone of Maura's voice, Jane knew the other girl was going into panicked mode soon.

She made a quick decision and parked her car in the nearest available slot. Turning off the engine she turned to face the blonde.

''Okay Maura? I need you to breathe okay? Try and calm down. Panicking isn't going to help either of us right now.'' Of course that was the wrong thing to say and Maura glared at her.

''Calm down? Are you seriously telling me to calm down?! I am not going to calm down Jane! I have every right to be freaking out right now and I'm using that right.'' If the situation wasn't so dire Jane might have laughed at Maura's choice of words, but she didn't have that luxury at the moment.

''I know you do, but we need to keep going. He might have followed us and he could be here any minute. So I need you to try and think okay?'' Staying calm and rational herself seemed to work its charm and Maura slowly calmed down somewhat. Jane smiled reassuringly at the blonde, before starting the engine again.

''Let's go back to my apartment and figure things out from there okay? Calling the police is definitely priority one. Then we'll see.'' Pulling out of the parking lot, Jane was surprised that Maura shouted out.

''No! No police.'' She was shaking her head vigorously and Jane thought the girl might have gone crazy.

''What? The guy almost tried to kill us and you don't want to call the police? What's wrong with you?''

''You don't understand Jane. I'm fairly certain he has people working for him that are with the police. We can't turn to them for help.'' Maura sounded defeated and Jane couldn't blame her. Who were they going to then? Who could help them?

''Okay, let's just head back first and we'll go from there okay?'' Jane hoped she sounded somewhat comforting. She needed the blonde calm. Otherwise she had to deal with this situation alone. And she was sure she wouldn't be able to do that. Hell, she was pretty sure they weren't going to be able to do it together.

Why did she have to go after her? Why couldn't she leave well enough alone? Maybe she was turning into her mother, butting into other people's business. Maybe this was her punishment for doing so. But then there was that annoying part inside of her that wasn't just going to let Maura go through this alone. She just hoped it wouldn't get her killed.

Both of them had been quiet the entire ride back. They kept trying to come up with some sort of plan. Going to the police was out of the question apparently, so they were going to need to look at this differently. Maura was torn. She felt guilty for dragging Jane into this. And she couldn't believe the other girl was still by her side. But she wasn't going to question it, afraid that it might trigger something and have Jane walk away. She really couldn't do this on her own.

They turned into Jane's street and both felt some form of relief enter their bodies. They felt like they could breathe again. That didn't last long however, when Maura shot forward in her seat and ordered Jane to stop the car. The panic from earlier came back in full force and it hit Maura hard. She looked around in panic while Jane stopped the car, waiting for some kind of explanation from the blonde.

"Maura? What's going on? Why did I have to stop? We're almost there." Maura shook her head vigorously, breathing fast.

"He's here Jane. That's his car. How can this be? There's no way he could know you. Right?" Jane was at a loss for words. If her father was here then he did know her. Or maybe he had someone follow them last night. Rubbing her forehead, Jane voiced her thoughts.

"Do you think he could have had someone follow us last night?" Maura thought this over for a second, before sighing and hanging her head.

"I guess." Jane reached out to take Maura's hand in her own, hoping that this would make the other girl feel better.

It made Maura look up at her, fear reflecting in her eyes. And even though it was definitely not the place or time, Jane couldn't help but think that Maura had beautiful eyes. She quickly got rid of the thought, it in no way helped them right now. Taking a deep breath, she glanced at her apartment. The car was still there and Jane had a feeling it would be there for a long time. Besides, it would be too dangerous for them to go back, even if Maura's father left. He would probably have someone stake out the place in case they did come back. Turning her gaze back to the blonde besides her, she tried a reassuring smile.

"Look, I have a place we can go to. There's no way your father knows about it. We'll be safe there while we come up with a plan. I know someone who might be able to help us figure this out."

"I can't ask you to do that Jane. You've already done so much. I don't know how to thank you." Jane saw tears gather in Maura's eyes and she moved forward slightly, tucking a blonde hair behind Maura's ear.

"Hey, listen to me. I'm not going to leave you okay? We're in this together. And you can thank me after all of this is over, deal?" Maura chuckled, wiping at her eyes as she nodded her head.

"Okay."

Sitting back in her seat, Jane breathed in deeply. They needed to get out of there before they were spotted. She just needed to get them to the place she mentioned and she would make a phone call when they got there. Checking for incoming traffic, Jane pulled out of the parking spot.

"Jane!" Maura's panicked voice startled Jane and she turned her head just in time to see a car headed their way. The last thing she heard before everything went black were Maura's screams. And her own.

Maura groaned, slowly opening her eyes. It took her a few minutes to finally focus and even longer to remember what had happened. She looked around frantically for Jane, finding the other girl still unconscious. The quick thought of being thankful that they wore their seatbelts shot through her head, before she got into action. Every single muscle ached and she was sure she was bleeding from various parts of her body, but she needed to make sure that Jane was okay. That she was alive.

She was able to loosen her seatbelt and she was glad that their car was still upright. Moving her body over to Jane, she checked her pulse. Sighing in relief when she found one, she shook the other girl gently.

"Jane. Wake up." She could hear voices outside and took a second to look around. There were a lot of people gathered around, some on their phone, others talking to each other. Maura figured they were trying to find a way to get them out safely. Turning back to Jane, she saw her eyes open slowly.

"Maura?" Jane's voice was so soft that Maura almost missed it.

"I'm here. We need to get out of here Jane. I don't think my father is still around, but we really do need to go!" Panic started to set in again as Maura tried to free Jane. But the other girl seemed stuck.

Looking down, she noticed that Jane's leg was stuck. Her seat must have bolted forward and she couldn't get her leg free. Maura reached forward to try and pull it free, but when Jane cried out in pain she froze. She tried the seat next. Maybe she was able to shift it backwards and free Jane. But of course it wasn't so easy and Maura groaned in frustration. The only good thing about this situation was that the adrenaline had caused Maura to stop feeling her pain. But if she couldn't get Jane free it wouldn't matter anyway. She let out a breath, before locking eyes with Jane.

"Jane, I'm going to try and pull one more time okay? It's going to hurt, but please bear with me." Jane nodded her head, pain written all over her face. They both knew this was their only chance of getting out before the ambulance got there and took them to the hospital. They wouldn't be safe there.

Maura got ready, wrapping both her hands around Jane's upper leg. She glanced at Jane one more time before she pulled. "I'm sorry." All she wanted to do was stop when she heard Jane screaming next to her. She knew the other girl tried to keep it in, but it was no use. It hurt way too much.

Maura pulled with all her might, praying that this would work. Gritting her teeth, the blonde pulled even harder and she was nearly knocked backwards when Jane's leg finally popped free.

"Oh my God. It worked. Jane?" Maura looked up at Jane, to see the other girl falling in and out of consciousness. "Jane, you need to stay with me!" The blonde grabbed Jane by the shoulders, shaking her awake.

"I'm here." Jane groaned in pain, looking down at her leg. There was a nice gash and she could see the blood pouring out. They would need to bandage it up... soon. "We need to go Maura." Jane wasn't even sure Maura understood her. She sounded drunk. And she also felt like it.

"I've got you." And she did. They got out of the car, Maura supporting Jane's weight. They could see all the bystanders look at them completely shocked that they got out themselves and Maura heard the sirens in the background. They needed to leave, now.

Everyone tried to stop them as they left, but none of them actually dared to touch them, afraid they would make things work. So in the end they all watched the two disappear slowly, helpless to do anything. The first thing Maura did was find a pharmacy. The boy behind the counter could only stare as he watched the two go around the store, collecting everything they needed. Maura asked him to take them to the backroom and the boy was too stunned to tell them he wasn't allowed to.

Maura set Jane down carefully, glad that the other girl hadn't passed out on her yet. Although she wasn't sure how long Jane could keep this up. Maura was in awe with the other girl. She had never seen anyone so strong. And so incredibly selfless. All of this was her fault and she was damned to let Jane's life end here.

"Jane? I'm going to take a look at your wound okay? But it's going to hurt. Badly." Jane nodded, breathing deeply.

"Just do it Maura." The blonde nodded and swallowed nervously before she set to work.

She was glad she had interest in medicine right now. Otherwise she would have no idea what to do. All those books would finally serve their purpose. Maura tried to be as gentle as she could, but she couldn't do it completely pain-free. Jane didn't cry out this time. She groaned now and then and Maura would stop each time she did. She silently asked Jane for permission to continue and she did after getting an affirming nod. It didn't take her very long, even without any experience.

"Could you get us some more water please?" Maura turned to look at the boy as she asked her question. He nodded, before quickly getting what she asked for.

Maura finished up with Jane's leg in the meantime, before settling down next to her. Jane let out a huge breath, before resting her head on Maura's shoulder.

"Thank you. Where'd you learn how to do that?" The blonde played with the hem of her shirt, suddenly embarrassed about what she just did.

"I read a lot of medical books when I was younger. It's an interest of mine. I think I would've ended up in medicine if I didn't choose this." Jane hummed next to her.

"I was right then. You are as smart as you look." Maura opened her mouth to reply, when the boy entered the room, a couple of water bottles in his hands.

Maura smiled softly at him as she took them. "Thank you." Then after a beat. "How much for everything?" The boy was dumbfounded.

"Uhh, l-let me check." It was the first thing he had said all day and he disappeared once more. Jane chuckled next to her.

"He's totally scared shitless." Maura nudged her.

"That's not funny Jane."

"Maybe a little." The other girl looked up at the blonde, an innocent look in her eyes. Maura couldn't help but chuckle and she shook her head at Jane.

Leave it to her to find the humor in these situations. The blonde was actually glad that Jane was able to do that. It made it seem better than it really was. They stayed like this for a few more minutes, before Maura helped Jane up and the two walked back inside the store. They paid for all of the things they used and Maura threw in a generous tip. Jane warned the boy not to tell anyone about this, in case he would and they slowly made their way outside. The sun was warm on their skin and they breathed in deeply.

"Where to?" It was a whisper, almost as if the blonde was afraid someone would hear her.

"The woods."


	4. The Cabin

The cabin looked exactly like Jane had described on their way there. It was a pretty long walk and Maura found out that the other girl could be incredibly stubborn. She didn't even want to take a cab, not wanting to take any chances. Maura was on the same page, she understood where Jane was coming from, but with her in so much pain taking the cab would've been easier. Maybe even smarter. It might have been a stupid choice to walk for almost two hours and the blonde was surprised - and even a bit impressed - that Jane had done it without complaining or even stopping too many times.

The two hours gave them enough time to talk and Jane had told her about the cabin in such detail. The other girl had even mentioned the ornaments that were on top of the fireplace. It seemed that it was a good distraction from the pain and everything and Maura was glad about it. Jane had even told her some stories about the time her family had spent summers there. That they went swimming in the lake that was five minutes away. That they drove their mom crazy, pretended that there was some kind of monster there that she and her brothers had to hide from. It had even distracted the blonde from what was going on, even if it was for just a little while.

The cabin was owned by Jane's family. They had apparently inherited it from their great-grandmother and they kept it in the family. Maura was in awe at the beauty of it. And how well kept it had been. Thankfully it didn't stand out too much. It almost disappeared into the trees and it gave them both a sense of relief. At least they wouldn't be easy to find. If they even found out about the cabin at all. Although they both knew there was a chance.

Maura sat Jane down carefully on the couch and could see the pain and tiredness on her face. She smiled sympathetically, having no idea what Jane was going through right now. Sighing softly, she took in the rest of the cabin. There were a few doors, leading to various bedrooms. One door was open and Maura could see it lead to the bathroom. The kitchen was small, but big enough to have two people bustle around and there was a big dining table. Jane clearly had a big family. Turning back to said girl, Maura kneeled down in front of her.

"I need to take a look at your wound okay? After that you should try to get some rest." Jane nodded gratefully, the mention of getting some sleep giving her that small boost of energy to stay awake a little while longer.

Maura worked quickly and quietly. There didn't seem to be a need for words. Both of them were glad to be out of danger for now and just wanted this day to be over. Hopefully tomorrow would shed a new light on their situation and maybe then they would know how to move forward.

"All done." Maura smiled up at the other girl. Standing up, she helped Jane to her feet as well and the two shuffled into the nearest bedroom.

Jane let out a huge breath the moment her head hit the pillow and she smiled sleepily up at the blonde.

"Thank you Maura." The blonde nodded her head, before turning to leave the room.

"I'll be right outside if you need me." There was some form of a reply as Jane mumbled something and Maura chuckled to herself as she left the room. She decided to keep the door open a crack, wanting to be next to Jane as quickly as possible should she need to.

Maura collapsed on the couch, the day's events catching up to her. Closing her eyes momentarily, all the events replayed themselves in her mind. She still couldn't believe any of this was happening. And that it was her father who was behind all of this. Maura didn't know what they were going to do. There wasn't all that much they could do, with her father knowing half of the people that worked for the police, basically owning them and they didn't have the resources to do anything themselves. It wasn't like the movies, where the main character knew people in high places and seemed to always have some sort of plan.

The sound of her stomach rumbling made her open her eyes wearily and she groaned. They hadn't eaten anything since this morning and right now it was almost eight in the evening. She forced her body to move and slowly moved to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she found it empty. And every single cabinet after that was empty as well. The blonde contained the scream of frustration that was building inside of her. Instead, she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down and think rationally. Of course they wouldn't store anything in the fridge or the cabinets, but there was one other place where she could still look. And it was probably outside.

Thankfully it was still light out, so she didn't need to worry about finding a flashlight or something. As she moved through the backdoor and outside, she felt hope fill her at the sight of a freezer right next to the door. Praying that there was something in there for her to find, she quickly moved towards it and opened it. Or at least she tried to. She found the damn thing to be locked.

"Of course. Because nothing can ever be easy." She huffed in annoyance and threw her hands up. "I feel like I'm in some kind of bad movie." Rolling her eyes, the blonde went back inside. The key had to be somewhere. There was no way they would take it home right? The chance to lose it was that much bigger.

So Maura set out to work. Opening every single thing she could to try and find the damn key. And after looking for over an hour, she came up empty handed. Her hunger had increased considerably, as did her frustration and she let herself glide down the wall next to the front door. Her head fell back against the wall and she looked forward, tired and hungry and...

"Are you kidding me?" There it was. Right next to the backdoor. Hanging right there. Maura blinked a few times, stared at the key and suddenly burst out laughing. She wasn't even afraid she would wake Jane up right now. The situation was absolutely ridiculous. She had just spent over and hour looking for a key, while it had been right there all along. If there was a film crew here right now, they could seriously make a movie about this.

The blonde wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there laughing, but after a while she got herself up, grabbed the key and stormed back outside. She didn't even think anything could be in there anymore, she just wanted the damn thing open. Only so that she didn't waste most of her time right now. The key turned swiftly and as she opened the freezer, tears sprang into her eyes.

It was full. Completely full, filled with meat. Had she been laughing only minutes ago, now the blonde was crying. If it was out of happiness, she didn't know, she didn't really care anyway. All Maura knew was that she could finally eat something. If she even had the energy to prepare it. All she really wanted to do was crawl under the covers and sleep. But she knew her stomach would keep her awake.

Grabbing a big piece, she shut and locked the freezer. The key went back to its righteous place and Maura filled the sink with water. Placing the meat under, she sighed in relief. Now all she had to do was wait for it to defrost and then get to work.

Maura rolled her head around, feeling all her muscles protest. She needed a bath, or at least a shower. She turned her head to look at the bathroom, before resting them back on the meat. She had some time. Might as well make use of it.

The water felt amazing. She couldn't really believe that everything still worked and that they had hot water, but she wasn't going to think about it either. Her mind had other things to think about. Jane for example. And everything the other girl had been doing for Maura so far. Everything she went through for the blonde. It might be weird, but she trusted Jane with her life. Or, maybe not so weird after all. It all didn't make much sense, but the blonde decided to go with what she feeling instead of what she was thinking. And what she was feeling was that she could trust Jane.

And some other things as well. When they were on their way to the cabin Maura had been impressed with how Jane had been handling herself. Her pain. But the more the blonde thought about it... she felt something different. A sense of awe towards Jane, but also guilt. That she dragged the other girl into this. And a completely different part of her felt lucky. Lucky that she didn't have to be alone, and maybe even lucky that it was Jane that was with her. That it wasn't someone else.

That thought shocked her. Maybe not the thought itself, but the meaning behind it. The reason why the thought shocked her. She shook her head, trying to rid her mind of these thoughts. She couldn't be having them, definitely not now. Now was not the time for these thoughts. But the more she tried to get rid of them, the more prominent they became. Maura leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath, trying to make sense of it all.

Tears filled her eyes again, but it wasn't because she was sad, or happy. It was because it finally made sense. She wouldn't want anyone other than Jane with her right now, because it was Jane that made her feel these things. These feelings that she locked away a long time ago. And even though they were still practically strangers, it made perfect sense to Maura. She didn't need to know every single detail about Jane's life. She didn't need to know her favorite color, her favorite band. The one thing she did know about her, were the summers the other girl spent here. And as she thought about what Jane told her, she could feel something come over her. The tears fell as she recognised the feeling as happiness.

Jane might have said these things as a distraction, but she still trusted Maura enough to let her know these things, to let her in. No one had made the blonde feel this way in a long time and it was as if a dam had been broken and every single emotion someone could feel came rushing back to her. Emotions she tried to hide. It was Jane that made her feel these things and it was Jane, she had feelings for.

The shock subsided and Maura composed herself, let the tears be washed away with the water and she smiled. She didn't care about the situation she was in right now. All she cared about was Jane. And keeping her safe. The other girl made her feel again. From the moment they met. And it was just now that Maura saw it. That she realized what Jane had done for her, without even knowing it. And she vowed to herself that she wouldn't put Jane in any more danger. And that she would try to give Jane something as precious as what she had been given.


	5. Clearing Some Things Up

Maura dried herself off, before stepping out of the shower and towards the mirror. It had completely fogged up and Maura wiped her hand over it. She was greeted with her own reflection, but she did a double take when she saw herself. Her whole face was covered in cuts and bruises. She blinked a few times and moved her head to the right and left to make sure she was actually staring back at herself. But if her face looked like this. She took a breath, before looking down at her body. She hadn't even done that while she was in the shower. She was too busy thinking and just enjoying the feeling of the warm water on her sore skin.

Her body looked battered. There were a few large bruises on her side and legs, that were followed by cuts. She gingerly touched the bruises, hissing at the pain she felt. She whimpered, knowing the pain that would follow, would her body get some rest. Sighing, she carefully continued drying herself off, before wrapping the towel around herself. She would look around for some clean clothes before she decided to put on her torn, bloodied ones. There wasn't a big chance there were actually any clean clothes around, but she wanted to check first.

Which is why she moved into the bedroom next to where Jane was still sleeping peacefully and opened up the closet. To her surprise there were still clothes in there. Maybe they kept them there just in case. Anyhow, Maura wasn't going to second guess it and picked out a sweater and some sweats. They fell a bit big on her, but they did seem to fit okay. Taking a look at herself in the mirror, she chuckled at herself. Even though the clothes did fit, it looked as if she was being eaten by a woolen monster.

She moved back to the kitchen to check on the meat and was pleasantly surprised to find it ready. She smiled and rolled her eyes when her stomach rumbled yet again. Grabbing everything she would need, the blonde set to work.

* * *

Jane awoke to an amazing smell. Groaning she rolled on her side and slowly opened her eyes. She blinked a few times, trying to get adjusted to the dark, before carefully trying to get into a sitting position. She let out a deep breath as she moved upwards, closing her eyes tightly against the pain. Her body was protesting, but the smell was too good to ignore. And her stomach agreed with her.

Jane had no idea what time it was or how long she was asleep, but she was sure it hadn't been that long. Although she probably needed two full weeks of sleep to recover from this. Alright, that was a bit of an exaggeration, but that was how she was feeling right now. Jane slowly but surely got to her feet, moving towards the doorway slowly. She peeked out, blinking against the light of the fire that was going in the fireplace. Smiling at the sight before her, she took a moment to just watch Maura move around the kitchen. It was clear that the blonde had taken a shower and Jane had to refrain from laughing when she saw the clothes Maura was wearing. Of course they were too big for her, they were hers. And they were hideous. Which was the exact reason why the clothes were here in the first place.

Jane sighed to herself and leaned her head against the doorpost. She might feel like she just got run over - literally - but there was still a part of her that wasn't sorry. Or regretted anything. And looking at Maura in the kitchen, cooking something that she hoped tasted half as great as it smelled... she felt a sense of happiness come over her. Yes, it was crazy. They were being hunted down and chased and here she was, being happy she was here. But she didn't care if it made sense or not. Right now, being here with Maura. It made her feel good. And she was going to cherish that feeling. Who knew what would happen tomorrow?

Deciding to make her presence known, she moved into the room. "Something smells good." Maura jumped and whirled around, a wooden spoon in her hand. Jane raised her hands, as well as her eyebrow.

"Didn't mean to scare you. You look very frightening wielding a spoon." Jane smirked as Maura narrowed her eyes.

"I think you wouldn't even be able to defend yourself against this tiny piece of equipment judging by the state you're in." The blonde lowered the spoon as Jane chuckled.

"Guess you're right." Maura's eyes softened and she moved forward to help Jane towards one of the dining chairs.

"How are you feeling?" The question got a shrug in response and Jane let out a breath as she sat down.

"I guess this is taking the saying 'I feel like I got hit by a truck' to another level huh?" Jane smiled up at Maura, but the blonde was having none of it. She looked down at the other girl disapprovingly.

"This isn't anything to joke about Jane. You're seriously injured." Jane sighed, giving Maura an apologetic look.

"I know, I'm sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood."

There was a moment of silence for a while as the two regarded each other. Both were looking at the other in a new light. Maybe that was why Maura reacted the way she did. She felt protective and Jane joking about what happened wasn't helping. But Jane on the other hand tried to make Maura feel less guilty. And maybe she just wanted to see the smile she got a glimpse of earlier. It was Jane who eventually broke the silence.

"So what are you cooking? It smells amazing." It seemed as if Maura suddenly remembered she was actually cooking something and with a small "Oh." She moved back into the kitchen, leaving a chuckling Jane behind.

"I found some meat in the freezer. Or well, it was more like a lot. I couldn't find anything else though, except for some oil and herbs, so I guess this'll have to do." The blonde sounded dejected that there wasn't anything else except for meat.

"We have some canned veggies. It's right there." Maura followed where Jane was pointing and frowned.

"Jane, that's a wall. Maybe you hit your head harder than I thought." The blonde was moving towards Jane to check up on her, but the other girl waved her away.

"No, I know that's a wall, but it's not." Maura gave her a blank look. "Just push the right side of the 'wall'." The blonde sighed and did as Jane said, still thinking the other girl was completely out of it.

But when she pushed the right side, she found that it did open up. And she was met with a ton of canned vegetables. Deciding to go with the green beans, she closed the secret room back up and turned around, smiling proudly at Jane. The other girl laughed when she saw the childlike look in the blonde's eyes.

"And you thought I was crazy." The blonde shrugged and moved back into the kitchen, not giving Jane a reply.

The other girl just shook her head and crossed her arms, a smile on her face. Maura was just too cute sometimes. And there was that smile again. Although seeing it like this, the smile being lit up by the fireplace. Maura looked even more beautiful. Jane sighed softly, rubbing her hands over her face. Last time she had been thinking this it wasn't really the time. Not that it was the time now, but at least they weren't being chased right now. They were safe.

And as she took a look around, Jane had to admit the atmosphere was quite... romantic. The only light they had, came from the fireplace. It was big enough to light up most of the room and the kitchen thankfully, but it also added a certain coziness to it. It would've been the perfect setting for a date. Jane shook her head. Here they were hiding from some bad people and she was thinking about how hers' and Maura's first date would look like.

As Maura continued cooking their meal, Jane took the time to rest her eyes some more. She knew she couldn't get rid of these thoughts, so she wouldn't try to. But she didn't want to think about them right now. She was too tired to figure out what she already knew. And that was that she liked Maura. Granted, she was different than any of the women she had dated before, but her Ma always told her that when you know you know. And she knew. That was for sure.

* * *

Dinner had been amazing, even though Maura didn't have much to work with. Then again, both of them were so hungry that it hadn't really mattered what they had eaten, as long as they would've been able to put something into their stomach. After dinner Maura had sent Jane into the bathroom to get cleaned up and cleared the dishes. She checked the closet again for some more clothes and found another one of those sweaters. Jane had told her that her Ma had made them for her and her brothers.

Knocking on the bathroom door, she talked through it. "Are you okay in there? Need any help?" There was some stumbling on the other side of the door and Maura resisted the urge to barge in there.

"I'm f-fine!" The blonde frowned, not entirely convinced by Jane's tone. Shaking her head, she decided to go in there.

"I'm coming in Jane."

"No!" But it was already too late. Maura stepped into the room and dropped the clothes she was carrying. Her eyes went wide and she took in Jane's form... naked.

The other girl quickly grabbed a towel and held it in front of her, grimacing in pain from the sudden movement. "Maura!" The blonde opened and closed her mouth a few times, but she just couldn't form any coherent words. Her eyes snapped back up to Jane's eyes and she could see how red Jane was. She probably matched it.

"I'm sorry! I just... you didn't sound... and I." Maura stopped talking and hastily grabbed Jane's clothes. She held them out in front of her, her eyes anywhere but on Jane. The other girl motioned for her to just put them somewhere. She was still holding the towel.

"I said I was fine. I was just struggling with getting my pants off." Maura didn't answer, she simply put the clothes on top of the laundry basket and backed out of the room, completely embarrassed.

She took a breath when she sat down on the couch before dropping her head in her hands. She could not believe what had just happened. Why did she have to go and do that? Stupid stupid stupid. Sighing, she let herself fall back onto the couch. Why was this day playing out like this?

Meanwhile, Jane was turning on the shower and adjusting the temperature, albeit a bit distracted. Maura had seen her naked. Completely naked. Not just topless or something, no, absolutely freaking naked. Things would just be way too awkward between from now on. Groaning in frustration, she stepped under the shower. Hissing at the pain, she slowly got used to the water. Sighing in pleasure, she decided to just forget what happened and enjoy her shower. Or at least she tried to.

When she stepped out of the bathroom an hour later, underwear and sweater on, she saw Maura fidgeting on the couch. She smiled to herself. They were both beating themselves up about this. As if there wasn't anything else they should be worrying about. She cleared her throat to let Maura know she was there and the blonde turned around slowly, probably afraid Jane would be standing there naked. That would've been something and Jane almost laughed at the thought.

"I was wondering if you could redress my wound again." Maura nodded wordlessly. Jane moved towards the couch, sweatpants in hand. She sat down gingerly next to the blonde and smiled shyly at her.

"Can we just move past what just happened?" Maura smiled in relief, happy that Jane wasn't mad at her.

"I would like that." The other girl nodded, before lying back on the couch, giving Maura enough room to work.

"Or you could just get naked and we'll call it even." Jane burst out laughing when the blonde's eyes widened comically and she turned beet red. "Just kidding!" She laughed even harder when Maura glared at her, but doubled over in pain shortly after.

"That's what you get." The blonde didn't say anything else and got to work, shooting Jane a few glares now and then. It didn't stop the other girl from chuckling though.

Maura had to admit that she was glad Jane could still be humorous in this situation. She wasn't sure she would be able to get through it if the tension wouldn't have been relieved even somewhat. She worked quietly yet again, concentrating on what she was doing. It wasn't easy and having only the fireplace lighting up the cabin wasn't a big help either. But she did anyway and she tapped Jane's leg to let her know she was done. The other girl put on her sweatpants, with a little help from Maura and they settled down next to each other on the couch.

"I'm sorry." It was Maura that broke the silence and Jane turned her head to look at her.

"Maura, its fine. Seeing me naked isn't the worst thing that can happen." The blonde shook her head, before turning her body to face Jane.

"That's not what I meant. I mean, it is, but..." Maura took a deep breath. She was fidgeting with her hands, not able to look at Jane right now. "I'm sorry about dragging you into this. I know I've said it already, but still. None of this should've happened to you. And it's my fault it did. And I don't know how to make it up to you." The other girl frowned at Maura's words. Reaching out a hand, she tilted Maura's chin upwards, so that she was looking at her.

"It sucks that I have a wound on my leg and that my body feels as if it could fall apart every moment, but I don't care about that. I might not know you Maura, but I know that I want to keep you safe and that you're right, I don't deserve this"- Maura's eyes diverted and Jane continued on strongly. "but neither do you. And if you had to go through all of this alone. God, I don't want to think about that. I'm glad that I'm with you, even though the situation isn't exactly great." The blonde chuckled.

"That's understating it." Maura licked her lips, moving just a tiny bit closer towards Jane, who still had her hand under Maura's chin. "But I get it." The blonde continued on, her voice almost a whisper. "I'm glad you're here too. Jane, I don't think I would've made it if it weren't for you. And even though it shouldn't make sense and maybe it's even wrong, but I'm happy I'm with you. You've made me realize what it's like to feel... included in something. To feel as if someone cares about you. Enough to even risk their own lives. I can never repay you for that. But it's something I had to tell you." Jane swallowed her emotions.

She had no idea what to say to this and she felt rather than saw Maura move closer again. What was happening? Her breath caught in her throat and she did the thing that felt right to her at that moment. She closed the gap.


	6. On The Move Again

There weren't any fireworks or anything like that. There was fire, in the fireplace and inside both of Maura and Jane. The kiss didn't last that long, it was pretty much just a touch of their lips. But that didn't stop their hearts from racing and their breaths to come out in short gasps after they broke apart. Maura still had her eyes closed, a grin on her face. Jane's pretty much equaled hers, but she had her eyes open, watching the flames dance on the blonde's face. She looked absolutely beautiful in the light.

"You gonna open your eyes or keep them closed all night?" Maura chuckled as her eyes slowly fluttered open. Jane was breathless when she saw the spark in Maura's eyes.

When she had met the blonde, she was sad, hurt, there was no happiness there. And now as she looked into her eyes, all she saw was a very happy young woman who hadn't looked more beautiful than right now. Jane felt lucky that she was the one to be causing this in Maura. That she was able to do this.

"I don't think this was planned?" It came out more as a question than anything. Especially when she saw the devious grin on Jane's face right after. She laughed when the other girl leaned in and tickled her neck with her nose.

"Are you sure about that? Maybe it was my plan all along. To get you here all alone and then... bam!" Grabbing Maura by her sides and leaning on her good leg, she all but threw the blonde on the couch. Maura was laughing the whole time, tears gathering in her eyes. She swatted at Jane lamely, who grabbed her arms and pinned them down by the blonde's sides.

"I think you do need that spoon to take me down, because this... this was just sad." Maura gasped in mock horror, narrowing her eyes at Jane.

"Are you mocking me Jane? Because I seem to recall a certain someone pretty much saving your life today." They were just playing around, but when Maura said this, both their minds went back to the events earlier today and the mood quickly shifted from fun and lighthearted to heavy and serious. Jane's eyes darkened ever so slightly as she slowly leaned down.

"And I will be forever grateful for that." Before Maura had a chance to respond, Jane claimed her lips. The kiss was different from before. It conveyed the emotions Jane was feeling, the gratitude. And Maura answered without hesitation.

They kissed hungrily, Jane's hands wandering up and down Maura's sides, causing the other girl to smile into the kiss. The easiness from before seemed to come back and soon Jane had Maura pinned beneath her, tickling the blonde's sides.

"I give up! Please Jane! Stop!" The other girl laughed warmly, before releasing her grip on the blonde.

They collapsed half on top of each other, Jane resting her head on Maura's shoulder. She winced as she moved her leg, trying to get comfortable and sighed softly when she found a good position. Maura kissed the top of her head, twirling a string of Jane's hair around her finger. They were quiet for a while, Maura playing with Jane's hair and the other girl enjoying the touch. For a moment there both forgot the predicament they were in and just enjoyed each other's new found company.

Maura broke the silence. "Should we talk about this?" Lifting her head, Jane looked up at the blonde, the question shining in her eyes. "About the kiss. Us. What this means?"

"I guess it's safe to say that we like each other. What else is there to talk about?" Maura shrugged, not really knowing how to answer that question. Jane moved up a little, looking Maura in the eyes. "I don't regret it, do you?" At the shake of Maura's head, Jane continued. "Right, so there's nothing really to talk about or worry about or anything. We kissed. And now we'll just see where it leads. Because whether or not we want to think about it, we still are in a crazy situation and I'd like to get out of it as fast as possible. Can't really take you out on a date if we're being followed right?" Again Jane tried to lighten the mood and succeeded in making Maura smile.

"You'd like to take me out huh?" Jane chuckled, redness adorning her cheeks. She might look like a badass, but she was really easily embarrassed. And it was something Maura found adorable. "I'd like that." Leaning up on her elbows, Maura kissed Jane slowly, letting the moment linger just a second longer.

"We should get to bed." It was a completely innocent statement from Jane, but it didn't really sound that innocent. Maura raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" Jane hung her head, cursing herself. Maura laughed loudly, lifting Jane's head to look at her. "I'm joking Jane. You're right, we could both use a good night's rest."

"More like a whole week." The blonde just shook her head at that.

* * *

They both slept like a log, the events of previous days finally catching up with them. When they woke up, they felt refreshed, sore and even more drained than the day before. Weird that you can feel better but worse at the same time. Jane turned on her side to face Maura. The blonde already had her eyes open and was studying Jane.

"What?" The other girl suddenly felt self-conscious. Maura's eyes were almost looking straight through her into her soul. Or at least it felt like that to Jane.

"You're beautiful you know that?" Jane chuckled, turning her eyes away from Maura. The blonde reached out her hand, cupping Jane's cheek and making her look at her.

"Don't do that. Don't be embarrassed when someone gives you a compliment. Believe what they say and take pride in it." Jane looked at Maura.

"I can't wait to get to know you. All the weird quirks, things you do or say when something happens. Learn every little thing about you." The blonde smiled shyly at these words, before leaning in claiming Jane's lips.

"Me neither." She whispered against the other girl's lips. Leaning back, she grinned. "But I really have to use the bathroom." Jane laughed and rolled her eyes.

Lying back, she watched Maura get up and move across the room before disappearing. Sighing to herself, she shook her head in disbelief. Only two days had passed, but it felt like a lifetime. And it definitely felt as if she had known Maura all of her life. When they were around each other like this, just the two of them and no running away, it felt perfect. As if they had been doing this for years. She was surprised to find herself hoping she would be able to do this with Maura for years.

Jane had just closed her eyes when she heard a sound. Snapping them open and sitting up straight, she strained her ears. It wasn't Maura. The sound didn't come from the bathroom. Getting up carefully and thankfully with a little less pain than the other day, she slowly moved towards the window. Her heart was racing as she looked out the window, her eyes scanning everything she could see.

Again she heard the sound. She was sure it was a twig snapping under someone's weight. Or something's. Swallowing the lump in her throat she kept looking, hoping to find a squirrel or some other animal to be the cause of the sound. But when she saw nothing and she didn't hear anything else either she dared to breathe again. It probably was some kind of animal.

"Jane." The sound of her name made her jump a feet in the air and she whirled around with wild eyes. Maura was standing in the door opening, looking at her worriedly. When she saw that it was Maura, Jane calmed down. Wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans, she shook her head.

"Jesus Maura. You scared the crap out of me." The blonde moved towards Jane, looking over her shoulder and out the window.

"What's going on?" The other girl waved her hand, glancing over her shoulder one last time.

"Nothing. Just thought I heard something. Must've been some kind of animal. Everything's fine, really." She tried a reassuring smile, but Maura didn't buy it.

"Are you sure? Did you see an animal?" Jane sighed and shook her head dejectedly.

"No. But I didn't see anything else either. And I didn't hear anything else. It must've been an animal, it couldn't have been anything else. There's no way they know we're here. Right?" Even Jane didn't sound so sure anymore and it didn't exactly calm Maura down.

"I don't know. What if they followed us? They knew where you lived didn't they? What if they found out about this and came to check if we're here?" The blonde was starting to panic, walking around the room, waving her hands around frantically. Jane moved over, taking Maura's hands in her own.

"Calm down. Let me just check outside okay?" The blonde's eyes widened dramatically and she practically threw herself at Jane to stop her.

"Are you crazy? You can't go out there. What if they're there waiting for you? What if something happens to you? I'm not letting you go out there Jane. At least not alone." Jane opened her mouth to retort, but when she saw the serious look on the blonde's face she knew it was a lost cause. She had no other choice. Besides, knowing that Maura was going to be with her did make her feel somewhat better. At least she wasn't going to be alone.

They both made their way to the door slowly, keeping an eye on each other the whole time. Jane was shaking slightly as she turned the doorknob and she carefully opened the door. The door creaked when she opened it and she winced. Praying that if there was someone out there they hadn't heard it, Jane walked outside with Maura closely behind her. The blonde had a grip on her arm that told Jane that Maura was nervous and scared. And she couldn't blame her. She herself wasn't doing all that great right now. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest and her breath was coming out in short gasps. If whatever they found wouldn't kill them, her panic attack probably would. Rolling her eyes at her own drama, Jane licked her lips and moved further outside.

Checking left and right, she was met with silence. She saw nothing and she heard nothing. There should be birds chirping, but she might just not hear it over her own heartbeat. She glanced over her shoulder to see Maura looking around nervously. Jane promised herself right there that she would have nothing happen to the blonde. Not after everything they already went through.

"Jane." The whisper made her stop dead in her tracks and she turned to look at Maura. The blonde was frozen in her spot, her eyes fixed on something. Jane followed her gaze, not sure what the blonde was looking at at first, but when she saw something move she knew they had to get out of there. It definitely wasn't a bird, squirrely or any other kind of small animal. No, the shape was definitely human.

"Careful Maura. Follow my lead okay?" The figure had their back towards them, so Jane was sure he hadn't seen them yet. But if they would start running like crazy people she was sure they would be spotted. Jane almost missed the blonde's nod, she barely moved her head.

Lacing their fingers together, the two girls looked at each other one last time. Jane turned them around and they slowly starting inching away from the stranger that was standing five feet away from them. The strange thing was that both of them were quite calm. Their hearts were still beating fast and their breaths were still coming out pretty fast, but apart from that they were calm.

As they moved along the side of the cabin, they kept their eyes and ears open. Jane stopped suddenly and Maura nearly bumped into her. The blonde didn't open her mouth to ask why Jane stopped, she could see it right in front of them. Another man stood there, his hands clasped behind his back. The only difference between him and the other one was that this one was staring right at them. It was as if everything suddenly happened insanely fast. The man moved forward, opening his mouth to call for the others. Jane held on tighter to Maura's hand as she dashed away from him and the cabin as fast as she could.

She winced as her leg protested against the sudden movement, but she moved through it, knowing they couldn't stop. Maura told her to run behind her. The blonde kept glancing behind her to see the men following them. Jane closed her eyes against the pain and remembered the promise she made herself to protect Maura. Tugging at the blonde's hand, she pulled Maura forward.

"Just keep running, I'm right behind you!" The two moved through the forest, dodging branches, finding the easiest route whenever they came across a rough patch. Jane couldn't jump over them and Maura wasn't going to leave Jane behind.

They weren't sure how long they had been running, but Jane was starting to get a weird feeling. Both of them kept glancing behind them to see how far ahead they were and it seemed as if they weren't gaining any distance. But they weren't losing any either. Jane frowned to herself. Neither of them were running at full speed because of her leg. But that would mean that the guys chasing them should've easily caught up with them already. It could only mean that they were up to something.

As they kept going, Jane started to notice something. Each time they would move to the right or the left one of the men would show up and they had to go back. She ran a little faster to catch up with Maura.

"Maura, I think we're being guided somewhere." Jane was breathing heavily, the pain starting to become too much for her. Maura glanced at her, a frown on her face.

"What do you mean?"

"They should've caught up with us already. We're not running that fast. And every time we go one way they make us go another. Besides, they could've shot us if they had wanted to."

The blonde seemed surprised at first, but after thinking about it for a minute seemed to figure it out as well. She glanced at Jane once more, and the other girl could see the panic started to spread again.

"What do we do?" Jane licked her dry lips and winced as her foot hit the ground.

"Follow me." Maura nodded.

Jane knew the woods like the back of her hand. She had spent so many years here and they had pretty much explored everything. So she knew a few shortcuts to get back to the city quicker. And hopefully loose them on the way there. She motioned to Maura to keep an eye on her, before making a sharp turn. The man that had been following them on the side seemed surprised and nearly lost his footing as he tried to turn back around. Jane smiled to herself and continued on, glancing back to make sure that Maura was still behind her.

Again they kept running, Jane making quick turns now and then, even guiding them into a tunnel. Both of them were worried that the men would be waiting for them on the other side and were relieved when they found no one. Jane's leg was hurting more than ever and she knew they had to stop soon. Or else they would be in big trouble. She glanced behind them to find no one following them anymore.

It would only be a short run to get to the docks and once there they could rest for a moment. Reaching out her hand, she could feel Maura take it and with one more squeeze she pushed through her pain and through the last bushes. They didn't stop to check where they were, Jane knew exactly where they were. She could see one of the docks and with a last burst of energy they moved towards it.

"Jane!" Maura cried out when she collapsed. At least they made it. They were safe.

The blonde collapsed next to her, moving her attention towards Jane's leg. The wound had reopened and blood was seeping through her jeans. She groaned in pain, lying flat on her back. She could feel Maura put pressure on it, but was too tired to open her eyes and look.

"Jane, open your eyes." The other girl didn't comply. "Jane! I need you to open your eyes for me honey." One more groan and Jane opened her eyes slowly. She could barely catch her breath and could see that Maura was struggling with hers as well.

They caught each other's eyes, still wide with fear and panic. Maura smiled softly, tears filling her eyes. Jane was about to smile back when she saw Maura let her eyes travel up towards something behind Jane. Her smile faded and the pressure on Jane's leg lifted slightly. The other girl frowned, and turned her head to see what Maura was looking at.

"Hello Maura." It was Arthur.


	7. Say What?

**A/N: Okay, so this is the last chapter to this story. I know it's not a big story and I wanna say thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, followed or anything else. I hope you guys enjoyed the story and I hope the ending will please you.**

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With strength and energy Jane didn't know she had, she shot to her feet and stood in front of Maura protectively. Her leg was hurting like crazy and all she wanted to do was collapse and pass out. But she couldn't. Not just yet. If she did, who knew what would happen to Maura.

Arthur was standing in front of them calmly, looking from one girl to another. He was quiet, probably assessing the situation. He didn't really look that intimidating to Jane. He was just a guy forcing his daughter to work for him and make money. But when two men appeared behind him, she tried to swallow her nerves. One man they might be able to handle. Three? Their chances weren't that great. Especially with Jane practically out of the running.

She could hear Maura shuffle behind her and before she knew it, the blonde was in front of her, being the one doing the protecting now. Jane wanted to say something, tell her to get back behind her, but she couldn't. She couldn't find her voice and the energy burst she got seconds ago was seeping out of her quickly. She could barely stand, let alone try and fight. The blonde stepped towards Arthur, done with everything that had been going on. And only wanting Jane to get the help she needed. Even if that meant doing something she didn't want to.

"Arthur." Her voice sounded even, devoid of any emotion. It worried Jane and even scared Maura herself a little.

The man sighed softly, rubbing his eyes. As he looked back at Maura and glanced at the girl standing behind her, he shook his head. Maura frowned. It didn't seem like he was going to do something. But maybe that was what he wanted her to think. Wanted her to let her guard down and then strike. She held her head high and kept a close eye on the men behind her father. She was going to be ready for whatever was going to happen.

But nothing could prepare her for what happened next.

"Maura. What are you doing? Why are you running away from me?" The blonde cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. Was he serious with this question? "You asked me to come and talk to you and then you run away from Patrick, get into a car crash and almost kill yourselves running away again. What's going on in that head of yours?"

Maura scoffed. "Are you serious? You seriously don't know why we're running away?" She started raising her voice, anger taking over. "You sent your men to kill us! I want to talk to you and you don't even come in person! You sent someone! Someone who was about to pull out a gun and kill me. And you're seriously asking me why we're running away?" Maura was breathing heavily, glaring at her father, her hands balled into fists.

Arthur seemed surprised... genuinely surprised. He looked at one of his men, who seemed equally surprised and shook his head. Jane mused it was Patrick. Turning back to them, the old man cleared his throat.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I asked Patrick to go and meet you, because I didn't want to get into a fight with you. I asked him to give you this." Reaching into his pocket, both Maura and Jane braced themselves for what was about to happen.

But instead of a gun, Arthur took out an envelope and handed it to Maura. The blonde took it, dumbfounded. She looked at Jane questioningly, but the other girl just shrugged, not having a clue of what was going on. Maura glanced at her father, who urged her to open it, before slowly opening the envelope. She was confused when she found her contract in it and looked up at her father.

"What is this?" Arthur smiled softly at his daughter.

"I wanted you to do the honors. After our fight I started thinking and you were right. I hadn't been thinking about what you want and I'm terribly sorry. I only wanted what was best for you, but I seem to have lost the most important thing. You. You're love and passion. You used to have so much fun being on stage and I haven't seen that Maura in a long time. So I wanted you to have the contract to tear it up. I know it's not that easy, but I'll make sure to have everything in order as soon as I can. You don't have to worry about that."

It was quiet for a moment as both Maura and Jane took everything in. He just said that Maura could tear up the contract. Which could only mean one thing.

"So she's not working for you anymore?" Jane's voice filled the silence and Arthur looked at her.

"No. At least, not if she doesn't want to." The other girl nodded, more to herself than to anyone else.

"So... this Patrick was reaching for the contract? Not a gun?" Arthur nodded his head, a sad smile appearing on his face. The two were starting to get it.

"We have been running away for nothing?" Jane sounded incredulous. "Wait, but what about the car crash?"

"It wasn't one of us. The person that crashed into you didn't see you. It was truly an accident." The other girl didn't know why, but she believed him. They would be dead if he really wanted them to be... right?

Maura turned around slowly, looking at Jane intensely. If all of this was true and they had been running away for nothing, then it was all her fault. She was convinced that Patrick was going to pull a gun on her and kill her and she dragged Jane into all of this. Everything that happened to her was the blonde's fault. She moved towards Jane carefully, afraid that the other girl would freak out and run off. And with her wound bleeding again, it wasn't such a good thing to do.

"Jane?" Her voice was soft and she almost sounded scared. Jane's eyes traveled from Arthur towards Maura and the two locked eyes. The blonde held her breath as she waited for Jane's reaction, but she didn't expect the other girl to start laughing. She blinked a few times, wondering if Jane had hit her head harder than she originally thought.

But Jane just kept on laughing, letting her body sink down to the ground. She wiped at her eyes, trying to stop the tears that were freely flowing. Maura still had no idea why the other girl was laughing and she looked towards her father for help. But the old man just shrugged, not knowing what to think or do either. Finally Jane spoke, or at least she tried to between her laughs.

"W-we ran fo-for nothing! All of th-this was fo-for nothing!" Maura knew that already, but she didn't really find the situation amusing. Crossing her arms, she glared down at Jane.

"Jane! This isn't funny! You almost died! How can you be laughing?!" The other girl calmed down somewhat after seeing how serious and mad Maura was.

Holding out her hands, she waited for Maura to take them. Which the blonde did after some hesitation. Jane tugged at her hands, silently asking her to sit down. Maura kneeled down in front of her, still glaring at Jane.

"I'm sorry. I know this isn't funny, but at the same time it is! Come on Maura! This situation is so... weird that you can't help but laugh. We thought people were trying to kill us, but they only wanted to give us a freakin' piece of paper! We ran and got into all of this trouble because of a piece of paper. That frees you!" The blonde opened her mouth to respond, but snapped it shut just as quickly. Sighing, she shook her head as a smile appeared on her face.

"And I'm fine! Okay, maybe I'm not, but I'm alive! And laughing, so that's a good sign right?" Jane grinned at the blonde, something that always seemed to work. And it did right now as well. Maura chuckled, before starting to laugh softly. It turned into full blown laughter and Jane couldn't help but join in.

If anyone were to walk in right now they would have no idea what to think. Two young women on the ground laughing, with three men standing there watching them with a confused look on their faces. Maura's anger disappeared, but the guilt was still there. When they calmed down, it became evident. Jane moved forward, cupping Maura's face in her hands.

"Hey, what's wrong?" The blonde shook her head, not knowing what to say. Tears appeared in her eyes like they had so many times. A sight Jane had started to hate with a passion. "Sweetie, please talk to me." Maura took a deep breath, wiping at her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Jane. If I hadn't been so stupid then all of this wouldn't have happened and you wouldn't be injured and..." Her voice cracked, emotion taking over. Jane shook her head, not having any of it.

"Listen to me. I'm right here and I'll be fine. None of this is your fault okay? You couldn't have known what he wanted to do. You reacted to the situation. Besides, I wouldn't have gotten to spend so much time with you if this hadn't happened. You have nothing to feel guilty about okay? The only thing that I'm not looking forward to is going to the hospital. And the only reason you _should_ feel guilty is if you're not going to be there to hold my hand through everything." Maura smiled, wiping away the last of her tears. "And I'm pretty sure you're going to be there so... see, nothing to feel guilty about. And if this hadn't happened, I couldn't do this right now." Jane didn't care that Maura's father was there looking at them. She leaned in kissed Maura softly, hoping to take away the pain and sadness.

They broke apart with grins on both their faces. They still had a lot of things to sort through and the next weeks weren't going to be easy, but Maura was sure that they would get through it. She still felt guilty, she couldn't just shake that feeling, but she knew that it would eventually disappear. And she would be there for Jane every step of the way. As long as they were together everything would be fine.

And she would deal with her father later. Right now, she just wanted to be with Jane. Hold her in her arms and make everything alright. So she moved so that she was able to gather the other girl in her arms and she pressed her lips to Jane's temple.

"I guess you're right. But I'm still so sorry Jane."

"And I still forgive you Maura."


End file.
